Beverage dispensers for cold drinks are popular and extremely plentiful in major industrial nations such as the United States of America. Such beverage dispensers are found in restaurants, coffee shops, fast food facilities and virtually any facility which sells or dispenses food items. While a variety of different designs and constructions have been provided by practitioners in the art, all generally include a support frame upon which one or more beverage containers defining interior reservoirs are supported. Each reservoir typically defines a clear portion and supports an electric motor driven pump and circulating apparatus together with one or more beverage dispensing valves and nozzles. The objective of such beverage dispensers is to provide a continuous circulation and mixing action for the beverage within the reservoir. In addition, the circulation path typically includes a cooling element through which the beverage is circulated. The circulation of the beverage is often sprayed or directed against the interior walls of the reservoir clear portion to provide an attractive display function.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,077 issued to Gordon sets forth a MULTI-BEVERAGE DISPENSER having an upwardly extending support housing upon which a pair of clear beverage containers are supported. An intermediate wall defines the two beverage containers into separate reservoirs. A siphon and pump mechanism is supported within each of the beverage reservoirs and is operative to continuously circulate and cool the beverage therein. A pair of dispensing nozzles are supported at the lower portion of the beverage containers to facilitate dispensing of either of the beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,541 issued to Jacobs, et al. sets forth a MULTIBEVERAGE DISPENSER in which a support frame receives and supports a plurality of dispensing nozzles and a common water chamber. A plurality of syrup supplies are coupled to the dispensing nozzles through lever actuated valves. Each dispensing nozzle is further coupled through an additional valve mechanism to the common water supply reservoir. When a given valve is operated to dispense a beverage, the syrup supply and water are concurrently introduced into a mixing chamber and dispensed from the nozzle into the beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,654 issued to Guyon sets forth a DRINK DISPENSING DEVICE configured to simulate the appearance and operation of an oil drilling rig or the like. A base structure supports a model of a drilling rig and a plurality of drink dispensers. Each drink dispenser comprises a solenoid which when actuated releases a predetermined amount of liquid into a collection device leading to a receptacle. Control circuitry controls a selection switch for selecting a drink dispenser solenoid. The circuitry also causes the drilling rig to appear to operate in combination with the filling operation.
The natural interest of children in mimicking adult activities has not surprisingly lead to the creation of a variety of toy products which includes toy beverage dispensers and toy soda fountains. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,588 issued to Pearson, Jr. sets forth a TOY LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE having an upwardly extending base member and support defining a beverage cup receiving surface. A beverage reservoir is supported above the cup receiving surface and defines an interior beverage cavity and a downwardly extending dispensing nozzle. A battery-operated electric circulating pump is operatively coupled to the beverage within the reservoir and provides a circulation thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,149 issued to Beaubien sets forth a TOY LIQUID DISPENSER having a beverage receptacle within Which a quantity of beverage is received and mixed. The dispenser further includes an upwardly extending hand-operated lever pump having a discharge aperture therein. A siphon and valve assembly is operatively coupled to the pump lever and functions in a similar manner and action to the typical hand pumps used in early water wells within the United States and elsewhere. As the lever is operated, the valve mechanism lifts the beverage upwardly from the lower beverage container through a siphon tube and discharges it through the upper discharge aperture of the pump assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,407 issued to Midouhas sets forth TOY SODA FOUNTAIN having a base member configured to resemble a miniature soda fountain counter. A plurality of syrup dispensing mechanisms are supported within the base member on either side of a water dispensing nozzle. The syrup dispensers and water dispenser each include a hand-operated pump mechanism which is operative to dispense the syrup and water to provide soda fountain mixing of beverages.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided beverage dispensers for both commercial and toy use, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the toy art for evermore interesting and amusing types of beverage dispensing toys to maintain the interest of child users.